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On 14 March 2018, HIPS Director Abdirashid Hashi testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. The title of the hearing was “Fixing the Failed State of Somalia: Challenges and Opportunities”. Here is the full text of Abdirashid’s testimony: Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member and Distinguished Senators: Thank you very much for […]

One person, one vote elections have taken place only twice in Somalia’s history – in 1964 and 1969. A third democratic election was supposed to take place in August 2016, but has been pushed back to 2020, a target which may also be unachievable. Prolonged squabbling between Somalia’s federal government and the regions (and among the regions themselves), the […]

Last month’s successful Mogadishu International Book Fair was one of the best civil society-led initiatives in the Somali capital in this year. For three days in late August, Somali writers of all ages and hundreds of readers congregated in the City Palace Hotel to celebrate literacy and culture. Read on..

Of late, the most oft-repeated phrase in Somalia seems to be Vision 2016. Visions, particularly when discussing countries, are usually about long-term, strategic and often developmental goals. Not in the case of Somalia. Vision 2016 is a purely political document crafted in September 2013 at the behest of, and under the auspices of, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). Read on..

“Somali Women’s Civic Engagement: Past, Present and Future” GENSOM Conference, 6 February 2015, Nairobi The GENSOM project is a 2-year research collaboration between PRIO and HIPS, funded by the RCN. The project aims to understand present-day Somali women’s civic and political engagements through a historical lens. It studies the history of women and power in […]

The appointment of Omar Abdirashid Ali-Sharmarke as the Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) couldn’t come at a more critical time for Somalia. Political infighting has paralyzed the government for months, barely averting total collapse. Very little progress had been made to achieve the primary objectives of Vision 2016, the government’s roadmap. […]

On the fourth of a six-city research project on federalism, a team from the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) traveled to the city of Galkayo to have a dialogue on federalism with the local population. Here is their reflection on the trip..

On October 23, 2014 a two member team from the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) attended a three-day conference dubbed “Federalism in Somalia” organized by HESPI and IGAD in Addis Ababa. The team presented this paper which is based on extensive fiedl research which was conducted by HIPS.

On the third of a six-city research project on federalism, a team from the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) traveled to the city of Galkayo to have a dialogue on federalism with the local population. Here is their reflection on the trip..